The ocean stole my heart and I don’t want it back.
Ex-bartender turned social media marketer moved to Los Angeles. The rest is [recent] history…
The ocean stole my heart and I don’t want it back. Which is ironic because my favorite piece of the ocean is 403 miles away. But if I left right now, I would arrive there at 2:27am, which would then allow me 4 hours and 32 minutes of sleep before sunrise. If I hustled, I could be paddling out for dawn patrol by 7am sharp to (hopefully) catch the tail end of this ridiculously amazing swell.
I’ve been watching it all week. Seeing pictures of my surfing buddies on Facebook from my cubicle in Phoenix, AZ. I’m not a jealous person. I don’t care that my love is essentially cuddling with all of my Los Angeles friends…hard. I want in on the action. I find myself on Surfline with no recollection of navigating away from my work tasks. No idea how long I've been staring at the same image of a perfectly peeling right at ‘Hammerland.’
The ocean stole my heart and I don’t want it back. I've done the long-distance thing before. I know how goes. It’s about supporting one another’s deepest ambitions. Trust isn't an issue because we’re working for the same goal. The same destination.
Trouble is… She’s already there. The ocean. Billions of gallons of: two-parts hydrogen, one-part oxygen, undulating atop sandbars to make miracles. I could leave Arizona right now if I chose to. I’m not bound by handcuffs… or ankle cuffs (surfboard leash).
It’s like the mafia. Once you’re in - you’re in. There’s no getting out. -Kelly Slater
The ocean stole my heart and I don’t want it back. I’m hedging my bets. I believe that spending time apart will not only strengthen our bond, but empower us to someday run away together.
The romantic escape would start with an intimate afternoon, just off the coast of Manhattan Beach. When we’re both exhausted, overrun with ecstasy from round after round, I would stumble back onto the beach, slip out of my wet-suit, and taxi to LAX. I can hardly imagine the feeling of boarding our one-way flight to Bali. I just hope the in-flight entertainment is reminiscent of Virgin America’s recent safety videos. (I am a digital marketer, after all)
The ocean stole my heart and I don’t want it back. I've come to know a handful of people who yearn to backpack through Europe. It’s not that I don’t want that. But I’d rather ‘surfpack’ through coastlines.
Two years ago, I could never have predicted falling so hard. So fast. It’s easy to get complacent bar-tending at a private golf club near Sacramento, CA. The tips were good. The nightlife was decent, and the artist showcases every Second Saturday was something to look forward to.
Some people say ‘You never know what you have until it’s gone.’ But I say, ‘You never know what you have until you have it.’ I dipped my toes into the ocean and she clamped down like a Chinese finger-trap. The harder I pull myself away, the harder she binds to me.
The very same company that gambled on a bartender in February 2012 — hoping my medley of interpersonal skills and creativity could benefit their brand on social media — just took scissors to my finger-trap. The ocean loosened her grip, but still holds my fingers like a sheaths to swords.
Why Surfing? What does it do for you that other activities don’t?
Maybe Roy (CMO of said company) thought this would be difficult to answer. That I would have an ‘ah ha’ moment where I realize that I could get the same fix from other activities, and become more open to the idea of leaving the hobby behind. Or maybe he was just curious. Either way, I knew exactly why.
When I surf, or more specifically, when I’m riding a wave, I’m completely present in that moment. Nothing matters but that very second. No stress. No worrying about finances, ex-girlfriends, work, responsibilities. Nothing exists — except that wave.
The ocean stole my heart and I don’t want it back. I’m confident that we will be reunited soon. Even then I won’t take it back. We’ll share it. Collecting worldly possessions won’t root us to a particular longitude and latitude.
Let’s rendezvous in Bali. I’ll meet you there…
See that little ‘recommend’ button down below? Pressing it won’t make me teleport to the beach, but it will make me shape-shift into smiling. ;)
